Full Serrano, a horse who was hardly on most people’s radar throughout his brief 2024 North America campaign, impressed enough in three U.S. starts to become a finalist for an Eclipse Award in the older dirt male division. Purchased out of Argentina by trainer John Sadler on behalf of Kosta and Stephanie Hronis, Full Serrano went 2 for 3 in the United States in 2024, capped by an eye-catching victory in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The Dirt Mile became Plan B for Full Serrano because his connections had purchased him with the hopes of making the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. That plan got scrapped when Full Serrano got sick after finishing second to Mixto in the Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic on Aug. 31. That illness forced Full Serrano to miss the Grade 1 California Crown in September at Santa Anita, and Sadler felt without that race it would have been too difficult to have Full Serrano properly prepared for the Breeders’ Cup Classic run at 1 1/4 miles. Sadler purchased Full Serrano, in part, to replace another Argentine-bred horse in his barn, Subsanador, who had been sold privately following a narrow to defeat in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March. That horse went to trainer Richard Mandella, won the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth and the Grade 1 California Crown, but missed the Breeders’ Cup. :: Full list of 2024 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories In Argentina, Full Serrano, a son of Full Mast bred by Stud Haras Gran Muneca, had won races from a mile on dirt to 1 1/4 miles on turf. “He was the right age, he had run a distance of ground, he’d been running a mile and a quarter in Argentina. I liked that,” Sadler said. “He was reasonably priced. I liked that. Everything came together.” In his U.S. debut, on Aug. 3 at Del Mar, Full Serrano displayed good speed from the rail winning a one-mile allowance. Four weeks later, in the Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles, Full Serrano led into deep stretch before being run down by Mixto. In the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Sadler wanted jockey Joel Rosario to use Full Serrano’s speed, concerned about being shuffled back in a bulky 13-horse field. Full Serrano wound up chasing the Japanese-bred longshot T O Saint Denis through a half-mile in 45.47 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.69. Full Serrano had Tumbarumba and Muth right outside of him until the top of the stretch, when Full Serrano took over from T O Saint Denis and ran away from Tumbarumba and Muth. Full Serrano beat the late-running Post Time in second by 1 1/2 lengths. “We had to get out of the gate – [13] horses at a mile at Del Mar – I said be brave, run into the turn, see where you’re at, and then he just laid second,” Sadler said. “It was hard to know the Japanese horse was going to show that much speed.” Sadler announced in mid-December that Full Serrano suffered a setback that would sideline him for 60 days, forcing him to miss the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes on Dec. 26 and the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 22. Sadler is hopeful the horse could make it back to the races starting in late spring/early summer with the goal of making it back to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in the fall. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.